Beyond the Horizon
by someonethere4
Summary: A beautiful girl with an overly protective Pokémon, a powerful criminal network led by a madman, and a Legendary Pokémon with the power to annihilate entire continents are just the first of many opponents that Trainer Ryan and his friends will have to deal with along their Journey. Will they be able to save the world, or will they die trying?
1. Chapter 1

_**Further and Further**_

-A Pokémon Fanfic-

 _By R. Oathsworn_

The youngster had stepped from behind the tree, surprising Ryan with his sudden appearance. He must have been waiting for another Pokémon trainer to show up, hidden behind the giant oak, for quite some time. Hours at least, maybe even days. He was young, couldn't have been older than eleven, twelve years old. A Pokéball was ready in his hands. His voice was proud and even when he spoke: "I, Nicholas Vance, challenge you, trainer, for a battle!"

Before Ryan could say anything, the hearty laughter of his companion roared from behind him. He winched as the mighty hand of Deus smashed down on his shoulder, forcing him a few steps forward. "Kid's got some hiding skills, Ryan, gotta give 'em that!"

The boy, confusion suddenly evident in his eyes, moved his gaze quickly between both men, scrutinizing them both. "Are either of you trainers anyway?", he asked, a look of doubt flashing across his face.

"I ain't, lad", Deus yells back cheerfully, patting the capture styler hanging from his belt, "I'm a Pokémon Ranger. My friend here, however," Deus slapped Ryan enthusiastically on his shoulder, "is exactly who you are searching for."

"Thanks Deus...", Ryan mutters, glancing irately at his massive companion. The wide smile on the Ranger's face betrays his amusement about the whole situation. "Oh come on, lad. You really need some battle practice! Look, I'll be the referee for this match, you just have some fun. Your Pokémon need it!"

Still grumbling, Ryan nods at his friend, agreeing with his argument. It really had been some time since he and his Pokémon had fought in a true match. They needed the experience, and it was the perfect exercise after the past few days of silence.

"Alrighty then!", Deus roared, eager to see his partner battle again. He walked over to stand beside the oak tree, his substantial pack of muscles bulging underneath his t-shirt. The boy Nicholas took up position opposite of Ryan and then turned to face him.

"You ready?", he yells across the clearing.

Ryan nods. "Sure. Let's begin!"

Deus, gesturing dramatically, opens the match: "This battle shall take place between Nicholas Vance and Ryan Donnel. The match shall be a two-on-two battle, with both trainers able to field one Pokémon at a time. Let's rumble!" Deus ends in his trademark Ranger pose, arms outstretched to the sky, a fiery grin playing on his lips.

Nicholas, his attention already completely focused on the battle at hand, and simply ignoring Deus, throws his Pokéball onto the grass. "I choose you, Ledyba!". The speckled bug Pokémon emerges from the ball in a display of bright, red energy, flapping his wings happily. The ball smoothly returns to the youngster's hand.

Ryan nodded at the boy's choice. Opening the mental barriers around his mind, he called out to his most trusted partner, who was at the moment discovering the woods around the road. "Lucario! I need you here now!"

The amusement of Ryan's first Pokémon filtered through to him via their telepathic bond. "Already there."

A shadow emerged from nearby bushes, jumped into the air, somersaulted over Ryan, and landed in a kneeling position in front of him.

"Lucario", Ryan stated, now talking to his friend in person, no longer requiring their mental connection to communicate. "Good to have you here."

The steel/fighting-type Pokémon glanced back at him, a slight grin playing on his lips. "Likewise", he answered, still using his telepathic bond.

Lucario, or sometimes referred to as simply 'Luc', had been given to Ryan as a little Riolu by the renowned Pokémon Professor Bryson, a family friend of the Donnels, for his tenth birthday as his first Pokémon. Ever since, the two had never been apart for longer than 24 hours. Somewhere in their first year of traveling, Luc and Ryan had formed a special link, something called an 'Auratic-bond'. Neither knew the full details behind it, but somehow, their Aura's had bonded in that first year, allowing each of them to communicate with one another over extremely long distances. Over time, they had been able to close their minds off from each other, granting each of them a little privacy at times, but each of them could still feel the connection with the other somewhere deep in the back of their consciousness.

Ryan was snapped back to reality by Nicholas making the first move of the battle. "Ledyba, use Psybeam!" A multi-coloured ball of energy started forming in the Pokémon's mouth.

"Lucario, use Quick Attack on Ledyba!" Ryan called, using both his voice and his mind to speak to his Lucario. Luc nodded almost imperceptibly, and shot forward, his power granting himself an extra speed boost. As Ledyba unleashed it's attack, he arrived, bashing the Pokémon upwards and throwing its aim off, ensuring the attack to miss. Indeed, the beam of energy shot high up into the blue sky, harming no one but the air. Ledyba flew a couple of meters higher up into the sky by the force of the blow, but could stabilize itself using it's wings. Nicholas, ensured that his Pokémon was still able to battle, nodded once to himself.

"Okay Ledyba, use Fury Swipes!" The bug Pokémon shot forward, it's front paws lighting up, and struck at Luc before he could move. Swipe after swipe after swipe was launched at the Pokémon, but none did any real damage. "He should have known Normal attacks do next to nothing against a Steel-type", Ryan murmured, and Lucario too made his amusement in the lack of his opponents knowledge known through their mind link as he endured the onslaught with ease.

"Okay Luc, let's finish this! Use Brick Break!" Ledyba had just stopped his attack, panting slightly, when he noticed Lucario's steel fist connect to his face. The power of the blow was enough to send the Bug flying backwards, barely missing his trainer in passing, to come to an halt against an oak tree. There, the Pokémon slid to the ground, unconscious.

"Ledyba is out of the match!", Deus roared. After having returned his knock-outed Pokémon to its Pokéball, Nicholas took out another one of his Pokémon. "Your turn Linoone!" The long, hairy Pokémon emerged from the red flash of the Pokéball, its tiny ears turning towards his master as it waited for orders.

"Okay Luc, that's enough. Let's give someone else a chance." Ryan's Lucario nodded at his master's command, and stepped out of the battlefield. Having created a dislike for being inside a Pokéball, Luc only entered his if there was a definite state of emergency in which he was not needed, which did not happen very often. Although this was frowned upon by some, Ryan had no problem with his partner's unusual behaviour, instead enjoying his company now that Luc was always outside his ball.

Ryan took a Pokéball from his belt and enlarged it with a press of the button. "Your turn, Gardevoir!", he yelled as he heaved the red-and-white ball into the air. It opened, revealing the gorgeous psychic maiden, who brushed a rogue lock of green hair aside before focusing on her opponent.

Gardevoir was Ryan's second Pokémon. He had caught her while she was still a Ralts after a harsh battle between her and Luc, leaving both exhausted. Luc, while at first not as ensured of her ability to fight, had been pleasantly surprised by the small Pokémon's power, and even now the two often paired up in their training sessions, always enjoying to battle with a worthy opponent.

"Linoone, use Headbut!" Nicholas' small Pokémon suddenly charged forwards, it's head lowered and aimed at Gardevoir. "Quickly, Gardevoir, use Mirror Coat!", Ryan yelled at its Pokémon. With a wave of her hand, the maiden placed a wall of energy in front of her. The Linoone smashed right into it, and was blown back by the mirroring of the screen. It rolled over twice and was then able to get back to its feet.

"Let's do things differently, buddy! Use Surf!", Nicholas yells. A wave of water formed under the long Pokémon, raising him high into the sky. Before Ryan or Gardevoir could do anything, the wave smashed right into her, flowing over and around the screen of energy with enough force to force her to take a step back.

The Linoone landed in front of her, and prepared itself to fly at her again. Ryan, having recovered from his original shock, yelled: "Use Psychic!"

Gardevoir's eyes began to glow a bright purple, and suddenly her opponent was floating, held tightly by violet mental energy. It yipped fearfully and tried to break free from Gardevoir's presence, but was unable to: she was just too strong. With a wave of her hand, she smashed the small Pokémon into the nearby oak tree, thereby almost hitting Deus, who sidestepped the Pokémon with practiced ease. It thudded onto the forest floor, unable to continue the fight.

"Linoone is unable to continue the fight! Nicholas is out of Pokémon, and has therefore lost this battle. The victory goes to Ryan!"

Gardevoir twirled around on her spot, exhilarated that she had defeated her opponent. Images and emotions flooded into Ryan's mind, his Pokémon using her telepathic skills to send her gratitude and overall happiness for the victorious battle. He gave her a thumbs-up in return, and send a feeling of being proud of her in return. Lucario added in his own amazed emotions to the stream, his more organized and clear than Ryan's. Ryan grimaced slightly at the fact that there was still much to learn for him with his telepathic skills, even after all these years, if he was ever going approach his best friend's level of skill.

Ryan shook off his feeling of mild discomfort and grinned at his Gardevoir. She was indeed a very strong member of her species, far stronger than any other Gardevoir he had ever met during their journey. She fought hard and had the concentration of a Mr. Mime, even better. With another nod of gratitude, Ryan pointed her Pokéball at her and pressed the tiny white button. Gardevoir seemed to transform into a form of red energy, which in turn was quickly swallowed up by the Pokéball. Another press and the ball shrunk notably in size, and Ryan was able to hook it easily to his belt.

Nicholas approached Ryan reluctantly, unhappy about his utter defeat. Still, they shook hands and parted as equals, Nicholas heading for his nearby home while Ryan and Deus continued their journey towards Viralian City, a coast town famous for its spectacular cliffs and festivals. Deus had been asked by the town's council if he couldn't represent the Ranger Union for their most famous event, the Celebration of the Kyogre Cliffs, and Ryan had decided to tag along with his old friend, as he had never been to Viralian before.

"So," Deus began when they were on the road again, "how much did that battle earn you?"

Ryan counted the bills he had received from his opponent quickly. "Threehundred-and-fifty Pokédollar."

Deus thundered another one of his mighty laughs. "Ho-ho-ho Ryan, then you can probably buy an old man like me some diner, now would you?", he said with a wink.

Ryan sighed. "Sure Deus." The massive Ranger was a good and loyal friend to have, but his uncanny ability for not having to pay for anything when one travelled with him, instead trusting on his companions or his job to provide him with free food and shelter, was slightly annoying to say the least.

"Don't worry lad, when we get to the Cliffs, the representatives will do anything to appease a Ranger and his company! We'll have a great time, let me assure you."

Ryan managed a weak smile. In Deus' eyes, 'having a great time' often had a great number of similarities with 'playing chicken with a Wailord'. Still, the prospect of free food and a place to sleep with an actual bed in it did sound quite appealing to him.

It was late in the afternoon of the next day when the two companions arrived at the outskirts of Viralian Town. As they cleared the forest, the salty aroma of the sea hit them head on. Rolling grasslands stretched out before them, filled with Mareep and Flaafy playing in the tall grass, slowly filling up with farms and houses until the plains were replaced by streets and white homes with red roofing. It could barely be called a town, as it seemed to house no more than three or four thousand permanent inhabitants. Still, the simple architecture and the multitude of colourful flags waving in the stiff breeze made for an picturesque view.

Lucario joined them at the top of the hill as Deus gestured dramatically at the town. "See here, the beautiful town of Viralian!"

"Long time since I smelled the ocean.", Luc stated casually, but Ryan recognized a faint trace of happiness in the otherwise strict mind of the Aura Pokémon.

Ryan smiled, agreeing, and headed after Deus as he made his way towards the center of town, followed by Lucario.

Viralian Town was a bustling centre of tourism this time of the year. Trainers, Contestants and other interested factions gathered here for one of Hylia's most famed happenings. Legend said that the Legendary Water Pokémon Kyogre had created the Cliffs in a battle with his nemesis Groudon. The whale-like Pokémon had thrown up the cliffs to protect himself from Groudon's lava, which had threatened to turn all of the ocean into land. Or so the tales stated.

In any case, Kyogre's Cliffs were said to be quite spectacular, standing over two hundred meters tall above the waterline, it's colours ranging from white to black, and almost all other colours in between. It was also home to one of the largest populations of Wingul and Peliper in the entire world.

The middle point of the town was the town square, and this was also where the main festivities would be taking place. Even one day in advance of the start of the festival, the open area was filled with people and Pokémon both. Fire breathers were showing off their skills together with their Pokémon and freelance actors were performing famous plays as "Nidoran and Nidorina" and "The Gardevoir, the Galade and the Jinx". The church bells tolled high above them in the local cathedral dedicated to the Pokémon of Legend, first and foremost Arceus, the God of all Pokémon. Both men and Lucario passed by, glancing up at the magnificent window depicting so many Legendary Pokémon.

A sudden high pitched screaming stopped them in their tracks, and Deus found himself assaulted by a horde of girls, asking for autographs or pictures. Ryan sighed. Traveling with a renowned Ranger wasn't always a pleasure. He gestured to his companion that he and Lucario would be on their way and that they would meet up later, to which Deus answered in a melodramatic wave before he brought his full attention back to the fan girls around him, and his companion and Luc walked on.

The two of them left the square and made their way through a packed street filled with all sorts of shops, occasionally having to force their way through the mass of bodies. It cleared up a little further, where the pavement ended and the soft grass of the massive public garden began.

Children were letting up kites in the grand clearing lined with flowerbeds, and the young man and his Pokémon looked up in wonder at the multitude of shapes and colours that added to the thousands of flags lining the surrounding buildings.

Seeing other trainers releasing their Pokémon for some well-deserved relaxation, Ryan took hold of his other Pokéballs. He grinned at Luc. "Let's bring out the others, shall we?"

With a mighty heave, he threw the balls into the air. "Come out guys, time to have some fun!"

Four Pokéballs opened simultaneously. The red beams of energy quickly formed into his friends.

Gardevoir looked around in wonder at the kites flying high above her. She squealed in delight at she took in all the millions of colors, her green eyes reflecting the bright sunlight.

Grovyle kept his cool, like he always did, but still gazed around the field in interest. "Gro-vyle!", he noted, satisfied with his new surroundings of grass and greenery.

Staraptor hipped around on his feet a few times, then spread its black wings and shot high up into the sky, joining his flying friends in dodging around the kites and floating in the sea wind. Ryan smiled as he saw his old friend enjoying his first flight in more than a week, and promised himself that he would let the Predator Pokémon fly around like this far more often.

His smile turned into a frown, however, when he couldn't find his last and newest Pokémon, who seemed to have disappeared upon arrival. It wasn't until he felt something tickle him that he noticed his little friend clamping on to his belly. "Spidey! What are you doing up here?"

His Spinarak let loose a quick line of clicks with his mandibles and a fearful look had appeared on his face as he gazed out over the hundreds of humans and Pokémon gathered.

"Oh come one, small one! You don't have to be scared of all these people! No one's going to hurt you, I promise!", Ryan said.

The small arachnid nodded, although still not entirely ensured of his own safety, and moved to his favourite position on Ryan's left shoulder, where he had a clear view on things. 'Spidey', as Ryan had nicknamed his newest Pokémon, had been his latest addition to his team. Caught only three weeks before, the small Spinarak still had much to learn as well as getting used to your normal social situations. Until now, the green Bug-type had only really bonded with Staraptor. A strange match indeed, as Flying and Bug Pokémon had more often than not proven to be mortal enemies. Still, when Staraptor landed before Ryan and offered Spinarak a ride on his back, the little Pokémon did not hesitate in jumping on top of the giant bird before soaring high up into the blue.

Ryan blinked once as he saw a nearby Pidgeotto bank over to Staraptor, eager to see if the green creature on the bird's back was any good, but an angry look from Staraptor beat the other bird to a quick retreat. The eagle had that influence on others.

Ryan played with his Pokémon for the next few hours, and just before dusk he received a call from Deus on his XTransceiver. He opened the call and looked into the grinning face of his companion. "Hey Ryan, boyo!", Deus started his call with the same sheer enthusiasm as Ryan was used of him.

"Hey Deus." Ryan couldn't help a small curving of his lips as he was infected by Deus' enthusiasm. "What's up?"

"Meet me at the square in five minutes.", Deus replied, beaming. Spinarak, having returned to his spot on Ryan's shoulder after his flight with Staraptor, waved one of his front legs enthusiastically at the giant Ranger.

"Hey there little spidy-spider!", Deus cooed at the Bug Pokémon. Deus liked the Bug-type a bit TOO much for Ryan's own taste, and the massive Ranger turning into a baby-talking toddler was a bit too much for him to handle.

"See you in a minute Deus.", he quickly interrupted and closed the call, unable to bear the Ranger go into one of his phases.

"Okay guys, time to return!"

Ryan's voice echoed over the emptying field, and one by one his other Pokémon came back to him. Grovyle was first, having sat in a nearby tree the entire time, satisfied with his relaxed and mostly undisturbed position (a family of Wurmple had climbed over his belly occasionally on their search for juicy leafs, but after the first surprise he had allowed them to proceed with their work), walked over unhurried. Lucario arrived as well, unseen by most, to stand next to his Trainer. Staraptor landed from his last short flight, and spoke happily with Spinarak about his latest adventures. Last was Gardevoir, who walked over after having said goodbye to the little girls she had been playing with for most of the last few hours. She wore a simple crown made of braided flowers, but seemed incredibly happy with it. After a promise for food later that evening, Ryan returned all his Pokémon to their respective balls, except, of course, for Luc.

They met Deus in front of the Cathedral. "Hey buddy, I've got a neat surprise for you!", the Ranger immediately began, "We're going to the most exclusive restaurant this side of the island, 'Le Whirlpool'!"

Luc's surprise was evident through their telepathic link, and Ryan couldn't help but feel the same uncertainty.

"Le Whirlpool? Do you know how much a single sandwich in that restaurant costs? How are we going to pay for that?"

Deus smiled broadly at him. "We aren't. The council insisted upon providing us with a large five-star diner to welcome us to their town, completely free of charge!"

Ryan still must have looked doubtful at the sudden charity, as Deus placed his massive hand on Ryan's shoulder and pulled him along. "No worries, lad, trust me, you're going to have an amazing time." He nodded towards Lucario. "You're allowed to join us as well. One Pokémon per trainer allowed! Let us give you a culinary training, and let you try tastes you've never had before!"

Luc looked as uncertain as his Trainer, who just shrugged from over his shoulder. The Lucario followed his master's example, shrugged, and trailed after the two men towards the mansion in which Le Whirlpool was situated.

The restaurant truly was as spectacular as one might expect of the most prestigious restaurant this side of the continent. It did live up to the name, as in the middle of the mansion, a massive artificially created whirlpool acted as entertainment, with numerous deep sea Pokémon swimming and jumping around in the storm of water.

Ryan and Deus were shown to a table for four by a waiter who bowed deeper than either man could think humanly possible. Lucario was treated just like any other man, which surprised the otherwise stoic Pokémon, and amused him to no end. After he wanted the waiter to bring him a different wine for the third time, Ryan took command of the situation and made his Pokémon apologize for his behaviour to the man. Luc did so grudgingly and their waiter didn't seem too upset. The wine, however, was excellent.

After the starter, a gorgeous young lady sat down besides Deus. Her long bright red hair matched perfectly with her dress and Ryan had to do a double-take as she suddenly sat down at their table. She really was stunning. Deus, however, did not seem to be surprised at all, and continued to introduce himself and his friends.

"... And this are Ryan and his Pokémon Luc, two of my best friends."

She nodded politely at them, and then focused all her attention back on Deus. They started to chat amiably, leaving Ryan and Luc to share a look of doubt. They in turn ignored the couple, instead focusing on their food and occasionally spoke via their Auratic Bond.

As suddenly as she had arrived, she left again in what seemed to be a hurry. Snapping out of their private chat, both Ryan and Luc gave Deus a suspicious look. As soon as the woman had left the restaurant, Deus' polite and grinning face lost some of its enthusiasm.

"Deus, what the hell was that all about?", Ryan asked, his interest peaked by his companion's sudden change in mood.

"Nothing important lad... Just some company trying to hire me outta my job. Ain't gonna work for them businessmen, oh no. Being a Ranger is my life, my destiny. Ain't gonna let that slip by becoming a board member at freaking PI Inc..." Deus' voice was soft and threatening, something neither man nor Pokémon had heard in a long time.

"But... Deus, why would a multinational industrial cooperation want to hire a Ranger like you?" Ryan was at a complete loss, and Luc nodded his head, agreeing with Ryan. It just didn't seem to make any sense.

Deus looked suspiciously about him in the busy restaurant, but none of the other customers seemed to have any interest in their business. Then, he leaned forward conspiratorially across the table, and said in no more than a whisper: "Let me tell you something buddy. I have a theory on this. I think it is not only me they're after. Any Ranger would do. My expertise and fame are just an added bonus."

Ryan frowned slightly. "But what would they need a Ranger for?"

Deus smiled knowingly. "My dear Ryan, what are the basic principles of a Pokémon Ranger?"

Ryan's frown deepened. What had that to do with this. "Conserve nature, treat Pokémon as equals and never, ever, let anyone get hurt?"

His companion's smile widened. "Right you are. And what would the public think if a Pokémon Ranger, in the best case a famous one, was the new figurehead of a well-known industrial concern?"

The young man's eyes lit in recognition. "Then those principles would be connected to those companies, because why would a Ranger start working for a multinational if it has any distinct dislike for the organization's boundaries!"

"Exactly." Deus replied. "If a company would succeed in this endeavour and stick a Ranger in its corporate net, they would link themselves in the public's mind to the Ranger Union and could try to get away with almost anything, anything at all."

Ryan must have looked pretty shocked, as Deus reached over to pat him supportively on the shoulder, something that came across as an attempt at mild torture as the giant just couldn't control his own strength. "Don't you worry lad, a Ranger that is susceptible enough for money to take such a dirty offer still has to be born! PI Incorporated must think itself pretty clever to try and seduce me through my weak for women, but I can smell foul play from a million leagues away, so their pretty ginger got send home with the speed of a Vigoroth."

Ryan smiled silently. He should not have doubted his friend. Deus, meanwhile, took a proud swig from his wine, leaned back and looked around the fancy restaurant. "Now, where is that dessert...?"

After dessert the three of them walked through the town, which had again awakened from its post-diner slumber to celebrate the night. Hundreds of humans and Pokémon were about, music and laughter was to be found at every street corner, and the fiery blaze of torches lightened the entire street.

It was here that Ryan was suddenly tackled to the ground by an unseen foe. A small ball of fur rolled past Ryan as he landed heavily on the pavement. Deus was too surprised to do anything, but Luc was already moving and gripped the unseen assailant. Pulling it up from the ground to ensure that the small Pokémon couldn't go anywhere, Lucario revealed a slightly dizzy Eevee, the furry Pokémon yipping fearfully as it hung in the clear air by Lucario's strong fingers.

Deus helped Ryan up, who dusted himself off, and stared slightly amused at the small Pokémon. He was unhurt, as the metal braces around his arms had caught most of the impact, but he was interested in the Eevee's sudden appearance.

"So, where were you off to in such a hurry, little one?" he asked, but the Eevee just yipped and twisted and turned. "Eevee! Eev Eevee!"

Ryan sighed. "Let him go Luc." His Lucario looked doubtfully at him, shrugged, and dropped the small Pokémon on the road. It sped off immediately, leaving the three behind, dodging around and under the obstacles in his way.

Ryan sighed, shaking his head, until his eyes fell on a blue envelop lying at his feet. The tiny bite marks in it seemed to match those of a certain little, brown, furry Pokémon...

"Luc," Ryan said, picking the envelope off the pavement, "are you still sensing that Eevee?"

The Lucario, immediately seeing what Ryan was about to do, nodded. "I can lead the way, if you want."

Ryan smiled. "Alright, let's go."

The two of them sped off, followed by a thoroughly confused Deus, yelling for them to wait up.

Lucario could still sense the aura of the brown Pokémon, picking it up in the mass of swirling colours of all the different auras of all the different humans and Pokémon. Red, blue, green, purple, white, all flashed by, but the small, distinct trace of light-blue with purple was easy to track.

"This way", he called to Ryan as he ran into an alleyway running off from the main street, dodging people left and right. His Trainer, who was a bit taller than him, had a harder time passing the objects and living beings in his way than his Pokémon, but succeeded nonetheless. Deus just ran after them, loudly proclaiming he was on Ranger business, compelling people to make way for him by sheer force of will.

Finally, they arrived at a small cafeteria, where the small Pokémon had halted at the feet of his Trainer. Lucario ground to a halt besides the Trainer's table, with Ryan only a few seconds behind, panting.

' _By Arceus, I need more training...'_ he thought, still bend over, and Lucario was happy to point out to him the truth in that statement.

Grumbling slightly at his best friend, he straightened himself, and looked straight into the green eyes of Eevee's Trainer. She had her head cocked slightly, her bright eyes studying Ryan and Lucario. "Yes...?" she asked delicately.

She was, in all honesty, a beauty. She was approximately 1.70 meters tall, and couldn't have been older than eighteen. Her outfit was simplistic, a black sweater with long jeans and high hiking boots, but it seemed to magnify her astonishing natural beauty. Her face was heart shaped, with a small nose and her short raven hair fell around it's sides, curling back to the front. The eyes were what was most stunning, large and bright emerald.

Ryan, taken aback by the appearance of the girl, stumbled with his words for a few moments before regaining control of his voice. "Err... I think your Pokémon dropped something."

He handed over the blue envelope to the green-eyed girl, who took the envelope gently into her hands. Her eyes - Ryan couldn't stop looking at those emerald eyes - brightened as she read the address. "It's from my mum." She looked back up at Ryan, who had to spend all his remaining willpower not to gulp as those eyes were again aimed at his. "I have been waiting a long time for a letter from my parents. I send Eevee to fetch it from the post office, but it looks like my little friend got into some trouble along the way."

She smiled down at her Pokémon, who was looking sheepishly up at her. "I hope he wasn't too big of a trouble?"

Her smile worked soothing, and Ryan couldn't bring himself to talk bad about the little Pokémon. "No. He accidentally ran into me on his way here and dropped the letter."

She blinked. "I hope he didn't hurt you?"

"Nah, I'm used to worse. That said, he has a mean tackle." Ryan spoke, trying to break the ice.

Her smile widened a little. An awkward silence followed, broken ( _thank Arceus!_ ) by the appearance of Deus, who, still moving through the crowds on authority of the Ranger Union, stopped besides Ryan. "Ryan, next time…" He took is three deep gulps of air, "please warn me when you go on a Psyduckhunt like that, for Arceus' sake! I could've..." His voice trailed off slightly as he took in the visage of the beautiful raven-haired girl before him, and he quickly switched to his famed 'womanizer'-voice. Arceus, how Ryan hated that voice. "Well howdy milady! It is I, the one and only world-famous top notch Pokémon Ranger Deus Xander Eclipse. You might have heard of me..?" he spoke, waiting for the girl to make the next move.

Eevee's Trainer looked amused at the Ranger. "Actually, Mr. Deus, I have no idea who you might be."

"Er..." Deus' mind failed him, as it hadn't occurred to him that the girl might not have heard of him at all. His next sentence proved too difficult for him to execute. "Er..."

"Alrighty then…", Ryan interrupted the stuck conversation before it could get any worse than it already was. He turned Deus on his heels and started to move him away from the table, the poor guy still frozen in indecision, "Seems like we have to get going. It was nice meeting you, er..." he suddenly realized that the girl had never given them her name, but she quickly filled the blanks in herself.

"Name's Liara." She said quickly, and then cocked her head slightly. "And yours might be...?"

Ryan blinked at the sudden question, but managed to answer: "Er... My name is Ryan."

"Well then, Ryan, it was indeed nice to meet you." she said with a smile, as her Eevee jumped onto her lap.

"Pleasure meeting you as well, Liara, hope to see you around on the festival." He couldn't believe he had actually dared saying that out loud, but now he had he managed a quick smile after it.

She grinned, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. "Hope to see you around as well Ryan."

As Ryan quickly pushed the Ranger away from the embarrassing conversation, Luc strolled besides him, a tiny smile playing around his lips. "Seems like a nice girl..." he communicated, not even trying to hide his amusement and real intention of his statement. Ryan blushed brightly and send daggers at his best friend, who just grinned sweetly back at him.

Back at the terrace of the Cafeteria, Liara looked after the three silhouettes disappearing into the mass of visitors and tourists.

"Seemed like a nice group," she stated, as she noticed her first Pokémon joining her table again from where it had been hiding.

"Might be, but one can never be too careful about who one talks to." Her friend advices her telepathically, his voice riddled with suspicion and uncertainty.

She turned to look at him, her eyes piercing. "Did you read anything bad in them then?"

Her Pokémon hesitated. "No..."

She shrugged, smiled amiably and turned her attention back to her food again. "Then what is the problem?"

As her friend still seemed doubtful, and telepathically showed as much, she sighed and again looked him straight on in the eye. "Look, don't worry, okay? We'll probably never see them ever again, so what's the difference?"

How wrong she actually was about that, she would not realize until much later...


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan turned up for breakfast late, feeling like he hadn't slept for a single minute that night. Luc and Deus were already set for breakfast, cooked for them by the Ranger Louis, an old friend of Deus. Ryan had fed his Pokémon last night and gone to bed immediately after, but his head hurt nonetheless. Ryan knew it hadn't been the Ranger Station they had found themselves a place to rest in that was the source of his lack of sleep: the beds had been cosy, the temperature moderate and the Station's other members didn't snore. No, it had been the dreams that had kept him from a relaxed night of rest.

Dreams of piercing emerald eyes.

He had stumbled up to the washbasin and had attempted to clear his mind with a splash of cold mountain water. It had helped, more or less, but the headache remained.

He had looked up into the overhead mirror, water dripping from his chin. A young man had gazed back at him, a face he did not recognize as his own. Deep, dark eyes and a shock of brown hair, his naked upper body looked tough and muscular from years of training and fighting with and alongside his Pokémon.

He had turned away and got dressed, lastly clasping the metal braces around his arms, something he had grown accustomed with. The golden braces didn't glint in the light, but instead seemed to burn from a fierce fire from inside the metal and seemingly liquid over Ryan's arms. He had received these braces a long, long time ago, and used them whenever he would spar with Luc or any of his other Pokémon to protect himself from his Pokémon's strength. The braces had become trademark for him since then, people recognising him from his braces more often than from his outer appearance.

As he walked into the diner room of the Station, murmuring greetings to the various personnel, Deus noticed him and gestured him over. He took place opposite of him, next to Luc as always, and squinted against the bright sunlight shining through the window behind his friend.

Deus laughed heartily at his companion's woes, turning only a few heads as most of the Rangers and Mechanics stationed here knew the tall man well.

"Someone's gotten himself a bit too much wine last night, now did he?", he said teasingly.

Luc merrily watched his Trainer, who kept his mind closed off pretty much entirely. The Lucario only felt a mild confusion and annoyance radiate from his friend through their bond, and understood instinctively that Ryan needed some time alone, without him prying into his thoughts.

Ryan grunted at Deus' question, unwilling to tell the truth behind his state of mind, and began picking away at the food on his plate. His moods, however, immediately lifted as he tasted the pancakes with honey. He realised he was famished, and hauled the pancakes in as if his life depended on it. 'Le Whirlpool' might have been the best of the best, its portions had been deceptively small. Deus and Luc shared an amused glance as they saw their friend feast on his breakfast.

"Seems like someone still has respect for the old recipes." a voice came from behind Ryan. Turning, he recognised Louis, Viralian Town's Lead Ranger. Years before, they had met once, and fought an influx of nasty Mightyena together far to the North. What he most remembered about man were his tendencies to use 'ancient' recipes for his culinary miracles.

"Too long since I tasted your recipes, Louis, too long." Ryan said, his mouth still stuffed with pancake.

"Ha, thought you'd like it.", the Ranger replied, "So I went ahead and made you a second plateful." He dumped a second load of pancakes on Ryan's plate.

Ryan nodded thankfully at the slightly older man, and immediately dug in. Louis and Deus proceeded to make small talk as Ryan finished his second round.

"Thanks Louis, your cooking's still as good as ever." Ryan finally managed to croak as he pushed the empty plate back.

Louis smiled brightly at the compliment. Just as he wanted to say something, Lucario interrupted by poking Ryan to get his attention and continued to point at the man's watch. His friend, after taking a look at it, jumped up as if stung by a Beedrill. "It's nine-thirty already! The Cliff Challenge starts at ten! We're gonna be late!" He jumped up and grabbed his bag. "Come on Luc, Grovyle will never forgive us if we're too late!"

His Lucario nodded, before heading after him towards the door.

"Good luck!", both men called after him, and Deus added: "I'll see if I can't join you guys later. With a nod and a wave, the two left the Station through its glass door, leaving the two bemused men behind.

From the Ranger Station, set on a hill overlooking the town, they skirted the outer neighbourhoods and thus arrived at the pathway leading to the Cliffs. Here, the number of hikers grew exponentially, and soon Ryan and Luc had joined the ever growing mass of people heading in the same direction, with the same destination in mind. Ryan had released Grovyle a little earlier, and the Grass-type walked proudly behind them. After hearing about the Kyogre Cliff Challenge, the green Pokémon had immediately set his mind on winning it. The last month he had dedicated most of his time honing the speed and accuracy of his Razor Leaf attack, the only attack he was going to need for the Challenge awaiting him.

The crowd suddenly seemed to spread out, and Ryan saw the steep drop of the Cliffs through the people, the ocean hundreds of meters further below.

A large sign indicated the sign-up for the Challenge, and Ryan and his Pokémon fought their way through the mass of bodies to reach it.

"Hi," Ryan started as he finally reached the table, but paused as he saw who sat behind it. "Nurse Joy?"

"Referee Joy today, young man", Joy corrected him, "I'm in charge of the Challenge this day. Now, how can I help you?"

Shaking his confusion off, Ryan gestured Grovyle to come forward. "I would like to sign Grovyle here up for the 'Medium-class' Cliff Challenge."

Joy nodded. "You're just in time! I was going to close up shop in a minute or so. What is your name?". She picked up a ballpoint and a piece of paper, and looked expectantly at Ryan.

"Ryan. Ryan Donnel." he stated.

Joy nodded. "And the name of your Pokémon?"

He and Grovyle shared a quick glance. "Er... He doesn't really have a name. Didn't want one. Just Grovyle..."

The Nurse/Referee noddes again. "Alright, that's settled then. The match begins in five minutes. Hurry along to spot eleven, it's still free."

With a grateful nod, Ryan and his Pokémon made their way along the cliff's edge. Here it was distinctively less busy, as most attendees had made their way to the stands erected along the Cliffs. Ryan hurried past the other Trainers to spot Eleven, which was only indicated as such by a small sign. He turned to his Pokémon, who was anxiously waiting. "Alright buddy, you go out there and show them what you got! This is your moment, your time to shine!"

Grovyle nodded, and smiled. "Gro!"

"High five buddy, we believe in you!"

Grovyle smashed his hand against both Ryan's and Luc's, and went to stand at the edge of the Cliff.

"You can do it Grovyle!" Ryan whispered as his Pokémon readied himself. Grovyle looked back over his shoulder, and smirked at his friends. Then he refocused on the task at hand.

"Welcome", a voice thundered through the speakers,"to the seventy ninth Medium-class Kyogre Cliff's Challenge!"

The crowd went wild and confetti flew richly through the air.

"Let round one ensue!"

On cue, five discs were fired from mechanisms hidden alongside the Cliff. All contestants proceeded to fire upon them with their own attacks, as did Grovyle. With accurate Razor Leafs he destroyed each and every disc before it reached its highest point. Other participants used attacks such as Rock Throw, Ember or Magic Leaf to clear their own task.

Every contestant was able to destroy his or her five targets. However, they were expected to, as the first round was meant as a warming-up. Now, the difficulty would increase, until one Pokémon was left standing with all its targets destroyed

For round two, again five discs were fired into the blue, but now every single one of them was fired onto a wildy different and random trajectory. Here, too, every contestant held his own, and Grovyle didn't even break a sweat.

Round three was much the same, with more discs but again all eleven Pokémon hit every single one of their targets.

Only in the fourth round did a Pokémon miss his target: the Butterfly in question missed one of its Magic Leafs, and was unable to fire a second one after the disc. A missed disc counted immediately as a defeat, so the Bug-type headed for its owner, snivelling softly at her loss.

Round five and six were devastating for the participants, as all but four were unable to hit any or all of their discs, and had therefore lost.

Grovyle was left, together with a Grotle, a Graveller and a Gallade. The latter peaked Ryan's attention as he tried to imagine how the Psychic-type could possibly destroy the discs. Keeping an eye on the Gallade's discs, he noticed a purple aura appearing around each of them before they were obliterated by it. He was using Psychic, Ryan realised. His Gardevoir could use that same attack as well, but he did not know if she had the capability yet to concentrate on so many fast moving objects at once to use the attack. He imagined it would be a good exercise for her.

Graveler and Grotle failed the sixth round, each missing one of the discs by a hair's width. Now it was just between Grovyle and Gallade.

"Come on Grovyle! You can do it, by Arceus!", Ryan yelled at the top of his voice. He was joined in his support by Lucario and much of the crowd, but his Pokémon seemed to ignore them all, instead focusing on the task at hand.

Both succeeded in their seventh round, although only just for Grovyle. One of his Razor Leafs had only nicked its target, and only by an improvised throw by his off arm was the Grass Pokémon able to destroy it in time. More luck than skill, but Ryan was nonetheless happy that his Pokémon was still in the race.

The booming voice returned over the roar of the crowds. "Rrrrrround Eight, everyone! The Golden Round! The Last Round! The never-ending-round! Who shall remain standing after this final battle?"

Round Eight was a horror. Disc after disc after disc was send spiralling into the sky, sometimes as many as ten at a time. Grovyle held out longer than anyone might have expected of him, longer than even Ryan held for possible. However, in the end, one minute and ten seconds in, fate came asking for its pay check. A sharp blade of grass just missed his target, and nothing Grovyle could do could change it. Five seconds later, the Gallade finally lost his focus and let one of the discs slip by, only to find it out of his reach a moment later.

The crowd went wild. Never before in their lifetime had anyone gotten this far in the Challenge, and never before had a finale ended so closely. Ryan hurried over to his Grovyle, who stood staring out over the Ocean, its shoulders sagged. However, when his Trainer approached him, a sudden shift in his stance revealed new strength. Ryan kneeled besides his Pokémon, who glanced over to him quickly and gave him a tiny smile. His Trainer echoed the smile and patted his Pokémon proudly on the back. How much had his friend changed over the years since he had caught him as a little Treecko, so sure that he could take on the world, and only ever happy with a victory. The fact that Grovyle took as much satisfactory from his second place as he would have had from a first place told Ryan that his Pokémon had gone through many positive changes since that first meeting.

Then Grovyle did the second thing that would have an impact on both his and his Trainer's further life: he went to congratulate his opponent.

The Grass-type made his way through the contestants and their trainers until he arrived at spot five. Here, the Gallade looked around in surprise from his conversation with his Trainer to see Grovyle come up to him. Something in his stance changed, and the Pokémon took a defensive position in front of his Trainer. Grovyle, however, did not attack or do anything threatening. Instead, he held out his hand.

The Gallade, seemingly unaccustomed to this kind of social behaviour, glanced uncertainly behind him. Whatever advice or order he was given, he turned back towards the grass Pokémon and shook the outstretched hand tenderly with his own. "Grovyle!", Ryan's Pokémon spoke eagerly. A hint of a smile appeared on Gallade's face.

Ryan and his Lucario choose that moment to arrive. Gallade's smile vanished and he politely but abruptly disengaged from Grovyle. He stared at Ryan, his face emotionless, but his stance again took some defensive form. Lucario, noticing the sudden weirdness of the situation, halted Ryan. A short standoff followed, with Gallade covering his Trainer on one side, Ryan and Luc on the other, and Grovyle confused in the middle.

The awkward atmosphere was however broken by the Trainer of Gallade, who stepped around her Pokémon to meet the new arrivals.

"Ah, Ryan, was it not?" Liara shot a warning glare at her Pokémon, who completely ignored her and continued to stare at Ryan.

Ryan, however, proceeded to ignore the Gallade entirely, and was instead surprised by Liara's entrance.

"O, er, hi again.", he started off rather tentative. "Seems that we meet again, er, Liara." His last word was more a question than the statement of her name.

"Seems like we do indeed. So, you're Grovyle's Trainer then, I assume."

"Yes, yes, I am. And you're Gallade's."

She smiled. "Yep." she simply stated.

She stepped up to Grovyle, who was still trying to figure out why the hell his trainer was acting so weird, took his hand and shook it. "Well fought, Grovyle, it was my and Gallade's honour to compete with you."

Grovyle blushed a bright red at the comment and started to scratch the back of his head, embarrassed by her kind words. "Gro..."

Ryan, meanwhile, turned to Gallade. "Well, Gallade, I must say you have a mean concentration. The way you were able to destroy those discs was impressive to say the least. I'm sure Grovyle has already pointed out to you that you were a worthy opponent to him as well." Grovyle nodded repeatedly at this statement.

"Anyway," Ryan continued, "it was as much an honour for us to compete with you as it was for you to compete with Grovyle."

Ryan stuck out his hand and Gallade glanced down at it. Lucario tensed, and Ryan noticed Liara, who had released Grovyle's hand, glaring intently at her Pokémon. In the end, after waiting just long enough to make everyone uncomfortable, Gallade took Ryan's hand and shook it slowly. Everyone seemed to relax as the two of them shook hands for a moment or two and then released one another.

"Well," Liara begun, trying her best to lighten the mood, "maybe it is time for us to head towards the stage. Can't let the mayor wait for too long, can we?"

Ryan and his Pokémon nodded, and followed her and her every silent Gallade towards the back of the stands.

"You know,", Luc spoke through their bond, "for a second there, I really thought he was going to hurt you. His aura stated that intent, Arceus knows why…," (here Ryan couldn't help but smirk slightly, as he noticed his Pokémon use his own favourite curse) "… but somehow, that girl was able to calm him down. I might even have felt a telepathical conversation between the two of them."

Ryan shrugged virtually. "I know, I felt it too. But let's not be suspicious of every move he makes. He's probably just overly protective for his Trainer. I can name other Pokémon who have had that tendency..." he added, looking at his first Pokémon who in turn glanced up at him in mild annoyance.

"I understand that, but this is just... it just feels weird…" Luc sighed. "Look, just… take care with him, okay?"

Ryan nodded almost imperceptibly. "Promised, but it's not that we're going to see them much longer, do we?"

Now it was Luc's turn to look at his friend with an air of amusement. "We both know that you're going to try to get as close to her as you can get, and for a long as possible. I sense your interest in the girl, Ryan, it's not something you can hide easily from me."

Ryan grumbled silently, softly cursing his luck for having a Lucario with a sense of humour, and ignored him for the rest of the short walk.

The allocation of the prices was a festivity on its own. A large stage had been erected a bit further away from the Cliffs in a field normally used for Mareep and its evolutions. On it sat Viralian's mascot Pokémon: the largest and oldest Venusaur Ryan had ever seen. It was the protector of the Town, the flower on its back still healthy and strong despite it being said to be over a century old. The Mayor, an old, respectable man himself, seemed small and weak compared to his massive companion. He held a short speech, indicating his love for his town and its people, and thanked every participant for their hardships in the Challenge. Then he and the ancient Venusaur began their task.

Graveller, who had held out just a little longer than his opponent Grotle, was the first to receive his price. Venusaur handed him a beautifully crafted bronze medal using one of his vines, and spoke a few words with the four-armed Rock-Type, a great honour on itself.

Grovyle, being second, was next. The Mayor handed Venusaur the silver medallion, who slowly put it around Grovyle's neck. Ryan's Pokémon bowed deeply before the ancient giant, unable to think of anything to say. Venusaur just nodded sagely and spoke a few unheard words with Grovyle, who blushed and nodded fiercely, thankful at the protector of Viralian Town. After a few more seconds, the Venusaur nodded again and turned to the victor of the Challenge. As he did so, Grovyle turned around to his Trainer and proudly presented to him his silver medal. Ryan gave him a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear.

Venusaur smiled at Gallade and bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect to the Psychic Pokémon. He was presented with a medallion of pure gold by the Grass Pokémon. He bowed as well out of respect for the ancient Pokémon, not as deeply as Grovyle had, but deep enough to show his utmost respect. The protector smiled and again spoke a few words in the Pokémon's native language. It even managed to make the otherwise stoic Pokémon falter slightly, and a tiny smile spread on the Psychic-type's face.

After all being said and done, Venusaur turned to face the assembled crowd. With a mighty roar that Ryan felt echoing through his body, the mighty Pokémon threw thousands of colourful petals into the air. The mass of humans and Pokémon yelled in approval as the petals landed on and around them, twirling through the air like a rain of flowers. With that, the Mayor and Venusaur left the stage, leaving the crowd to cheer for the winners of the Challenge.

After everything had quieted down a little and most of those interested had returned to the stands to watch the Heavy-category in action, Ryan met up with Deus.

"Ho-ho, buddy," he greeted Grovyle first, "let me see that medal of yours."

Grovyle proudly showed off his silver medal, and Deus eyes widened as he saw the intricate symbols lining it. After whistling softly, Deus continued: "By Space and Time, isn't that a gorgeous piece of art! You must be very proud to have won such an amazing price." He pointed at one of the hieroglyphs. "This is the symbol of the Oceans. It is said that it is one of the signs lining Kyogre's back." He looked up at Ryan. "Legends say that Kyogre and Groudon made all the continents in their many battles. Water and lava combined formed earth and more life. And after that, Pokémon evolved, climbed out of the sea and onto land."

He gestured broadly at the Cliffs, the Town, the forest and the mountains in the distance. "Hoen, Johto, Kanto, Almia, even our Hylia: all have been created by these impossibly powerful beings."

His serious expression suddenly became a sad smile. "Of course, this could all be just that: mere legends. Who knows... I surely don't."

Ryan looked intently at his friend. Something told him there was more behind this outburst of history, but he knew not to ask his friend about it: either the Ranger would answer with a cryptic question of his own, or would ignore it entirely. He chose to let the matter rest. His companion would explain himself in due time, or not at all.

Deus shook himself out his reveries and turned back to Grovyle. "Anyway, dear Grovyle, congratulations. Very well done indeed." Grovyle's chest swelled with pride.

Liara, who had just before been seen speaking sternly with her Gallade, joined them. "Hiya again, Deus."

The giant immediately lost all interest in both Grovyle and the medallion, and focused his attention on the young woman. "Milady, a pleasure to meet you once again!", he said, with a bow more gracious than anything Ryan has ever seen him do, "I understand that this Gallade is yours?"

Liara nodded. "Yes, he is the first Pokémon I received from Professor Oak when I was eleven. He was just a little Ralts then, of course. I trained with him for the past six years, and we've been inseparable from the very beginning." She placed her hand on the Gallade's shoulder, who again showed one of his tiny smiles. It seemed to Ryan as if the Pokémon was unable to move his features any more than that.

Deus, meanwhile, walked slowly around the Psychic-type, his trained eyes taking up its characteristics. "He is strong, can't say anything else but that. Never seen one of his kind before, however. Don't know any of his straits or skills and what more."

His eyes met Liara's again. "He is an evolution from Kirlia, isn't he?:

She nodded. "Yep. However, he's the only one I - he - has ever met of his kind, or the other evolutions. They are deemed quite rare in these parts."

Deus nodded solemnly, looking up into the blue, seemingly deep in thought. "True, true, I actually know only one other Trainer who has a member of his species..." Silence followed, as if the giant was trying to come up with a name.

Gallade stiffened as he heard Deus' statement. Liara cocked an eyebrow, and Ryan just sighed at his companion's melodramatic show.

"He means me.", he prompted. "I have a Gardevoir."

Deus glared at him. "Bah, you're no fun at all."

Ignoring the Ranger, Ryan grabbed the Pokéball from his belt and released from within Gardevoir.

His Pokémon looked curious at Gallade, who seemed to be frozen in place, his eyes large and his lips forming a small 'o'. She cocked her head, just like Liara had a moment before, her green hair falling in front of her pale face. Ryan could have imagined it, but it seemed as if Gallade gulped at the sight.

Liara was the first to speak. "Wow!", she exclaimed, as she stepped towards Gardevoir, "You are absolutely gorgeous!"

The maiden Pokémon blinked and then blushed at the compliment. "Gar!"

Gallade tried to speak, to say anything, but nothing could exit his stuck up mind. Gardevoir looked at him weirdly, and instead started conversing with his Trainer. Ryan could feel Gallade winch at that.

"You kinda must feel bad for him," Lucario spoke, "He has never seen a female of his kind before, so you can imagine what her beauty does to his brain." Ryan nodded. He knew all too well how a female could make your mind collapse...

Deus, meanwhile, was watching all this with a satisfied look on his face. Then, he glanced on his watch. "Alright folks, I'm gonna get some lunch before the main show starts. Any of you guys want to join me?"

Liara and Ryan glanced at one another. "Sure!" they both replied.

After a large lunch, in which Deus had all but forced the others to eat every possible food item under the sun, the group headed to the town square for the official opening of the festival. Grovyle and Gardevoir had returned to their balls (the latter much to the dislike of Gallade), because the square was so packed with people there wasn't even enough room to scratch your nose.

Somehow, with the help of Deus' imposing figure, they were able to get close enough to the stage to get a view on what would happen.

The Mayor stepped onto the stage, scratching his short, white beard, followed by the other members of his Town council. Two more men followed, each hauling one side of a large, magnificent chest up the stairs, and put it down in front of the spokesman.

A wave of the gentleman's hand brought an eery quiet over the audience. He cleared his throat, and began: "Welcome, citizens of Viralian. Welcome, citizens from all across Hylia. Welcome, citizens of Hoen, Kanto, and every other nation on our globe!"

The collective assembly hurrahed.

"Welcome, everyone, the Festival of the Kyogre Cliffs!"

The crowd roared its satisfaction again.

"We will now begin with the ceremony, as part of our tradition our people have chosen to uphold..."

The two carriers clicked the chest open, and the Mayor tenderly lowered his hands into the opening.

"... the Eye of Kyogre!"

From the container, the Mayor took a large, deep blue stone. As soon as the stone was touched by the rays of sunlight, it refracted them into hundreds of separate bluish beams, each in a slightly different hue.

The collective crowd gasped as the gorgeous display of light shone across them and onto the surrounding buildings. The Cathedral was plunged into a deep sapphire, as was the fountain in the middle of the square.

A moment later, the serenity was brutally disturbed by a mighty roar. As all gathered looked around in confusion, a huge shadow fell over them. Some people screamed and others looked on in shock as a large Charizard flew low over the crowd's heads. Ryan could just make out a masked man sitting on top of the massive beast. The creature hit the Mayor with one of its claws, sending him sprawling into the councilmen. Then, it beat it's wings and rose above the buildings once more, disappearing from sight.

The entire happening hadn't take longer than three seconds. Panic, meanwhile, gripped the audience, most of whom fled the square in a hurry.

Before they could do anything, Deus grabbed Ryan and Liara and pulled them with him to the stage, dodging panicked people and Pokémon on his way there, Lucario and Gallade following on their own account.

As they arrived, they saw one of the carriers help the Mayor. The old man groaned, and held on to his arm, which was bend in an awkward angle.

"Sir!" Deus yelled over the turmoil, "Sir, are you alright?"

He and Ryan knelt down next to the man. Liara kept standing, her hand covering her mouth as she saw the broken arm.

The Mayor coughed and opened his eyes. He whispered something, but it was inaudible, so Deus asked the old man gently to repeat himself.

"It took the Eye!", the man muttered. "It took the stone! You must find the Eye, before... before..." The pain caught up with him and he drifted into blissful unconsciousness.

Deus stood abruptly as councilmen moved in to take care of their spokesman, his eyes dark but his voice steady. "Ryan, Liara, follow me."

The Ranger walked to the edge of the stage and looked out onto the square. Most of the audience had fled into the streets leading away from the square, gripped by blind panic. Some, however, has stayed. Many of these had Pokéballs strapped to their belt or chest.

"Attention everyone!" Ryan winched at Deus' loud voice. When trouble arose and there was a leader needed, Deus was the man for the job. If only in the sense that people eagerly followed his commands to get away from his yelling. It certainly got their attention.

"The Eye of Kyogre has been stolen! However, we're going to get it back!"

As the gathered Trainers looked uncertainly at one another, Deus glared at them. "Yes we are! You are all Trainers, for Arceus' sake! And you'll be led by a famous one at that!"

Deus finger pointed almost accusingly at Ryan, who groaned almost as loud as the Mayor had moments before. _Here we go again._

"This here is Ryan Donnel! You might have heard his name if you're from Hylia! He competed in both the Kanto and in the Johto Pokémon League for our nation, making it to the half finals both times! He is one of the best trainers this nation has ever seen!"

The Trainers now all had their eyes set directly on Ryan, who couldn't help but blush at the sudden attention, all the more when he felt Liara's curious gaze add to the tension.

He sighed, the all too familiar pressure returning to him. Luc, as always standing beside him, send thoughts of support through their bond. He nodded once in appreciation at his best friend.

Deus, meanwhile, continued: "Together, you can stop whoever stole this priceless artefact that has protected this town for so long." He gestured dramatically. "Everyone who has a Pokémon capable of flight, release it now and fly like the wind! Everyone who doesn't, climb on the back of one of your colleague's, or spread the word on the ground: we are going to get that stone back."

The Trainers seemed far more willing now: adventure lay ahead, and they would be led by an experienced colleague. One by one, they pulled out Pokéballs and released flight-capable Pokémon. Pidgeot, Honchkrow and other winged Pokémon filled the square, and then the skies.

Ryan, deciding that the choice had been made for him, released Staraptor. But before he could mount his Pokémon, Deus grabbed his arm. "Ryan, I'm going to the Ranger Station to get reinforcements. You must lead these people in pursuit. We MUST get that Stone back, do you hear me? It is the only thing that counts now."

Ryan nodded, and smiled at his friend. His companion returned the smile weakly, and clasped him on his shoulder. Then, he turned resolutely and stalked off.

Resigned to his fate, Ryan turned to the expecting faces around him. He swallowed, and simply said: "Let's go."

He mounted Staraptor, Lucario jumping onto the bird to sit in front of him, and with a large sweep from Staraptor's wings, shot high up into the sky.

Looking over his shoulder as Staraptor shot towards a staggering altitude, he saw tens of Pokémon Trainers, riding a wide variation of Pokémon, follow in his wake.

Liara was suddenly beside him, seated on top of a Flygon. The green dragon yelled happily at them, which Lucario and Staraptor both answered with a smirk and a nod. The girl looked curiously at Ryan, who immediately knew he would have some explaining to do when this was all over and done with.

He looked at the red speck in the distance, racing out below them.

 _If_ they could get it done.


End file.
